Trader jailed for conning customers out of £15,000

A rogue trader who scammed people in Bath and Bristol out of more than £15,000 has been jailed.

Craig Graydon, of Stothert Avenue, Bath, was handed an 18-month sentence at Bristol Crown Court after pleading guilty to fraud at Bath Magistrates’ Court in July.

He has also been disqualified from acting as a director of a company for 10 years.

The 50-year-old offered building design, planning and construction services to six victims across the two cities. However, he failed to deliver the goods and services for which he had been paid in advance. Altogether, customers lost £15,338 at his hands.

The court heard that Graydon committed one count of fraud by false representation under the Fraud Act 2006 between August 2, 2020, and December 4, 2020. He was the director of Ashlar Renovations Ltd and was responsible for fraud involving dishonest misrepresentations concerning the supply of a set of bifold doors.

Alan Fuller, prosecuting, said Graydon was the sole director of companies Ashlar Renovations Ltd and Ashlar Design and Build Ltd.

He told the court that, in 2013, Graydon signed an agreement with the Trading Standards service not to trade improperly and in 2016 had been prosecuted for an offence of fraud relating to his failure to supply bifold doors to a consumer.

However, he had again advertised bifold doors for sale online in August 2020 and agreed to supply a bifold door to a consumer within three weeks. He was paid £2,450 for the door. After the delivery date had passed, Graydon gave various excuses as to why the door could not be delivered.

Several months later, Graydon promised to repay the money to the consumer, but never did. The court heard he never had the door in his possession and never intended to buy it for the consumer.

He then committed further offences of carrying on a business for a fraudulent purpose, contrary to the Companies Act 2006, and knowingly or recklessly contravening the requirements of professional diligence, contrary to the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.

Between March 16 and May 29 last year, as the director of Ashlar Design and Build Ltd, Graydon offered his services in respect of building design and construction. He took numerous payments for goods and services from five further consumers and again failed to deliver the goods and provide services he had been paid for in advance.

The court heard how Graydon made false claims in respect of his qualifications to consumers, namely that he was an architect and had a BSC in construction management, when in fact he had no such qualifications.

He also failed to keep to timing schedules agreed with consumers, failed to refund money and conducted himself in a confrontational manner when issues had arisen.

Jailing Graydon, Judge Mark Horton told him: “You have continued, for many years, to behave in an identical fashion knowing you were defrauding and causing a large

❝ You have continued, for many years, to behave in an identical fashion knowing you were defrauding and causing a large number of people considerable grief and loss

Judge Mark Horton as he jailed Craig Graydon

number of people considerable grief and loss.”

Katie Jenkins, defending, said her client was an alcoholic with health issues, and drink was the root cause of the offending. She said a catalyst for his decline had been an attack on him and his partner in 2015. She said he had also suffered the loss of his boxing promoter relative in Monaco, and all this had had an impact on his mental health.

Tim Ball, B&NES cabinet member for planning and licensing, said: “The victims in this case were all left thousands of pounds out of pocket. The conviction and sentencing in this case reiterate our ongoing pledge to bring justice to individuals and companies that defraud the public. We are committed to helping keep people and their money safe from rogue traders.”

■ Trading Standards’ approved trader scheme, Buy With Confidence, enables people to search for local businesses that have been vetted and approved. Find out more at www.bathnes.gov.uk/services/trading-standards/buy-confidence.

Anyone who thinks they might have fallen victim to a rogue trader should report it to Citizens Advice Consumer Services, which works with Bath and North East Somerset Trading Standards, on 03454 040 506.